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State of North Carolina Office of the Governor
Michael F. Easley
Governor
Release: IMMEDIATE
Contact: Cari Boyce
Date: January 8, 2003
Phone: (919) 733-5612
GOV. EASLEY QUESTIONS FEDERAL TRADE POLICY
RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley sent letters to President George W. Bush and U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans today raising concerns about the Bush administration’s decision to call for the elimination of all remaining tariff protection for American textile industry and workers as part of the “Doha Round” of World Trade Organization negotiations. Easley also asked for an update on administration promises to aid the ailing textile industry. Easley was joined by Gov. Roy Barnes and Gov. Jim Hodges in his letter to the president.
"Past trade agreements have taken a devastating toll on the textile and apparel industries in North Carolina, and throughout the Southeast," said Easley. "Last year, in recognition of this fact, the president stated that minimizing the impact of future trade deals on the domestic textile industry would be at the top of the administration’s agenda. I am writing to the president because I do not see this commitment reflected in the current round of WTO negotiations."
In March 2002, Easley joined the governors of the three other textile-producing states - Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia - in writing the president to urge immediate, multi-pronged action to assist the textile industry, its workers and the communities whose economies depend upon it. The letter was sent in order to initiate a substantive dialogue on actions that can be taken to help an industry that cannot afford to wait any longer for meaningful federal support.
"For too long in international trade agreements, the United States has sacrificed jobs in the Southeast for market access that benefits other parts of the country – and our citizens have received nothing in return," said Easley. "The Bush administration's proposal threatens to continue that trend by eliminating tariffs without sufficiently addressing unfair trading practices, illegal smuggling and other customs fraud, and non-tariff barriers to trade. And – while their proposal would require other countries with extremely high textile tariffs to lower their tariffs in order to reach parity with the United States – it allows an unfair discrepancy between tariffs to continue for a period of five years, which is too long to wait. Such an approach will not 'level the playing field' for our domestic textile industry; instead it could easily write the United States out

State of North Carolina Office of the Governor
Michael F. Easley
Governor
Release: IMMEDIATE
Contact: Cari Boyce
Date: January 8, 2003
Phone: (919) 733-5612
GOV. EASLEY QUESTIONS FEDERAL TRADE POLICY
RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley sent letters to President George W. Bush and U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans today raising concerns about the Bush administration’s decision to call for the elimination of all remaining tariff protection for American textile industry and workers as part of the “Doha Round” of World Trade Organization negotiations. Easley also asked for an update on administration promises to aid the ailing textile industry. Easley was joined by Gov. Roy Barnes and Gov. Jim Hodges in his letter to the president.
"Past trade agreements have taken a devastating toll on the textile and apparel industries in North Carolina, and throughout the Southeast," said Easley. "Last year, in recognition of this fact, the president stated that minimizing the impact of future trade deals on the domestic textile industry would be at the top of the administration’s agenda. I am writing to the president because I do not see this commitment reflected in the current round of WTO negotiations."
In March 2002, Easley joined the governors of the three other textile-producing states - Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia - in writing the president to urge immediate, multi-pronged action to assist the textile industry, its workers and the communities whose economies depend upon it. The letter was sent in order to initiate a substantive dialogue on actions that can be taken to help an industry that cannot afford to wait any longer for meaningful federal support.
"For too long in international trade agreements, the United States has sacrificed jobs in the Southeast for market access that benefits other parts of the country – and our citizens have received nothing in return," said Easley. "The Bush administration's proposal threatens to continue that trend by eliminating tariffs without sufficiently addressing unfair trading practices, illegal smuggling and other customs fraud, and non-tariff barriers to trade. And – while their proposal would require other countries with extremely high textile tariffs to lower their tariffs in order to reach parity with the United States – it allows an unfair discrepancy between tariffs to continue for a period of five years, which is too long to wait. Such an approach will not 'level the playing field' for our domestic textile industry; instead it could easily write the United States out